Behringer S16

The Behringer S16 is a digital stage box that operates on an AES50 audio network and allows signals to be sent from the stage to a digital front-of-house console, where they can be mixed. It has 16 remote-controlled Midas pre-amps, as well as eight balanced analogue XLR lines for stage monitors. Channels 1-8 and 9-16 can be connected to external equipment via two optical ADAT ports, and the MIDI connections allow lighting and sound modules to be controlled. To save space, this stage box can also be installed in a 19" rack, where it requires just two height units (2U), and its stand-out features are its wide-ranging connectivity and versatility, making for effortless cascading.

The Behringer S16 can be controlled easily from the front-of-house console once it has been connected to a digital mixing desk with a Cat-5e cable. The user-friendly interface allows each of the 16 inputs as well as the 8 bus outputs for on-stage monitoring to be selected directly, so the user can check instantly that everything is working as it should. Each channel can be adjusted directly using the HA-Control knob and level display, and phantom power can also be activated. The incoming signal can in turn be heard directly through the headphone socket. The CONFIG button allows users to select the operating mode, and once all of the settings have been saved, the S16 can be locked from the console. Topping it all off, the S16 has a USB port for firmware updates.

With the Behringer S16 stage box, signals can be transmitted to the front-of-house console using a single CAT-5e cable (which should be no longer than 100m), so there is no need for cumbersome multi-pairs. For larger stages, two S16s can be cascaded, allowing for twice as many inputs and outputs. For even greater flexibility, an optional Powerplay P-16 personal monitoring system can be connected via the ULTRANET socket. Since converters and networks store a certain amount of data in buffers, this generates a delay which should be considered when monitoring, particularly when using in-ear monitors. It is also worth noting that the audio network is not compatible with any IP equipment on the market and thus requires specific routers, such as the Midas DL16 or the Midas DL371.

In an audio network, samples are assembled in packets. These packets have headers which contain information on the source and the destination, which is then decoded by the receiver. The AES50 audio network, developed by Klark Teknik, is an open standard of the Audio Engineering Society allowing bi-directional transmission of multi-channel digital sound at 100Mbit/s. Thanks to its user-friendliness and minimal configuration, this standard is perfectly adapted to live events. With 24 bi-directional channels, a sampling rate of 96kHz and a latency of six samples can be achieved. For 48 channels, the sampling frequency is 48kHz and the latency is three samples. The protocol is based on the SuperMAC standard developed by Sony Pro-Audio Labs, which was acquired by Klark Teknik in 2007.